


Baby Bird

by The_Devil_In_The_Details_666



Series: Small Songbirds [2]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Bad Parents Jack and Janet Drake, De-Aged Tim Drake, Gen, Protective Jason Todd, Tim Drake Gets a Hug, Tim Drake Needs a Hug, Tim Drake gets more hugs than he knows what to do with, Tim is a tiny bean who deserves love dammit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:28:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24326530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Devil_In_The_Details_666/pseuds/The_Devil_In_The_Details_666
Summary: Tim Drake isn't entirely certain what's happening, but hey, it's better than listening to his parents fight, so whatever.(Or: Tim Drake is 11 again.)
Relationships: Tim Drake & Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake & Jason Todd, referenced Tim Drake/Jason Todd
Series: Small Songbirds [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1756237
Comments: 59
Kudos: 1003
Collections: Best of the Batfamily, Works good enough I will definitely reread





	1. Chapter 1

Tim was confused, very very confused. When he had gone to bed, he was at his house, in his bedroom, dressed in Batman pajamas and listening to his parents drunkenly yell at each other about his shortcomings. But when he woke up, he was tucked into a medical bed in a cave, wearing a pair of oversized sweatpants and a too-big t-shirt. The long cut on his arm where Jack had slashed him with a broken beer bottle had been bandaged, too, which was new, and there was an ice-pack against his bruised ribs. He could hear voices that didn’t belong to his parents arguing from somewhere to his left and slowly sat up, rubbing his throbbing head, then clambered out of the bed and crept towards the voices, careful not to make a sound. One was clearly Bruce Wayne’s voice, allowing Tim to relax as he realized that he was in the Batcave and hadn’t, in fact, been kidnapped by some sort of villainous psychopath, but the other voice was unfamiliar, arguing, “He’s my fucking husband, you douche, I think I should be allowed to see him!”

Tim peeked around the corner at where Bruce was standing, arms crossed and glaring at a tall man in a leather jacket. Bruce’s face seemed older, more lined than Tim remembered, and he looked tired as he stated, “I understand that, Jason. But we don’t know how much he remembers or if he’ll recognize you. Zatanna has already checked him out and said that he’ll be okay, but you’re too worked up right now. We both know that he was skittish and nervous at this age and with- and with what we’ve seen tonight, it seems safe to assume that there’s more to that skittishness than either of us knew. He knows me already, but if he doesn’t recognize you, you may scare him. Take 30 minutes to go upstairs, have some tea with Alfred, and calm down, then come back down.”

The man, Jason, clenched his fists, then sighed, answering, “I want to see him, B. I just need to make sure he’s not injured, then I’ll go.”

Bruce looked hesitant, then his shoulders dropped and he sighed, “Fine. But then you need to go calm down.”

Jason turned towards where Tim was standing and Tim’s breath caught in his chest, his stomach dropping in fear even as his mind automatically connected the face of the Jason in front of him to another Jason he knew of, the boisterous second Robin who had once snuck him a cupcake at a gala after he saw Tim crying in the corner, the Jason who Tim was out photographing the night before. Jason’s eyes widened when he saw Tim standing there and he slowly lowered himself down onto one knee, greeting, “Hey there, Tim. Do you know who I am?”

Tim blinked, trying to process what he was seeing, and Jason’s face slowly grew more worried until Tim blurted, “You look like Jason Todd.”


	2. Chapter 2

Bruce slowly crouched down beside Jason, his gaze boring into Tim, and Tim shrunk down, fidgeting with the hem of the t-shirt he was wearing as he looked down at the floor. Bruce reached out and Tim instinctively flinched back, causing Bruce to freeze, murmuring an apology before asking, “Are you hurt, Tim?”

Tim shook his head, shrinking down further, and whispered, “I’m okay.”

Jason looked like he was in pain and Bruce asked, “What do you last remember?”

Tim bit his lower lip, then answered, “I was in bed. Mother and Father were fighting.”

Bruce’s face fell slightly and Tim bit down on his lip harder before asking, “Why… Why am I here? Am I in trouble?”

Jason looked heartbroken and answered softly, “You’re not in trouble, Tim. You’re safe here.”

He looked at Bruce and Bruce sighed, then stated, “You’ve been de-aged. Last night, you were on patrol with Jason when you encountered a magic user. Jason got knocked out and you leapt in front of him to protect him from the magic user’s spell.”

Tim stared at Bruce, trying to process what he had just been told, then asked, “So you’re… You’re Jason Todd? Not just a… a doppelganger?”

“Yeah, Baby Bird, I’m the actual Jason Todd.”

Tim fidgeted with the bottom of his shirt and nibbled on his bottom lip, unsure of how to proceed. The chill of the cave made a shiver go down his spine and he nearly jumped out of his skin when a soft leather jacket was draped over his shoulders, looking up at Jason with wide eyes. Jason looked like he was about to cry and Tim hesitated, then started, “I heard… I heard you talking about your husband. Is that- Am I- Are we…?”

He trailed off, unsure how to ask, but Jason just smiled softly and answered, “Yeah. When you grow up, we get married.”

Blood rushed to Tim’s cheeks and he shrunk down with a squeak, barely resisting the urge to curl into a ball and scream at the thought that he had, at some point, managed to be cool enough to  _ marry Jason Todd _ . Jason’s lips twitched like he was suppressing a smile and he muttered, “Jesus fuck, he’s like a damn puppy.”

Then Jason held out a hand to Tim and suggested, “Let’s go upstairs. I think Alfred is making hot cocoa and the others are probably worried about you.”

Tim hesitantly set his hand in Jason’s (absolutely huge) hand and Jason stood up, leading Tim to a long staircase. They made their way up and exited the staircase into a study. The study reminded Tim uncomfortably of Jack’s study and he tensed, prompting Jason to give his hand a gentle squeeze and soothe, “Hey, you’re alright, Timbo. You’re safe here.”

Tim looked up at him and saw the worried look on Jason’s face, then hesitantly shuffled closer to Jason, who crouched and gently pulled Tim into a tight hug. Tim tensed for a moment, then melted into the unfamiliar hold. He felt tears prickling at the backs of his eyes and closed his eyes, unwilling to bawl like a baby at the first sign of affection. He clutched the hem of his shirt to prevent himself from grabbing the front of Jason’s and Jason murmured, “We won’t let anyone hurt you, Baby Bird.”

Finally, he released Tim and pulled away slightly. Embarrassingly, Tim tried to lean into him for a split second before catching himself. Jason gave him a small smile and gently ruffled Tim’s hair in the way Tim had seen people on tv do it before stating, “Fair warning, Dick is going to probably smother you in hugs and affection. He does it to you as an adult, so I can only imagine how much he’s gonna do it to you while you’re a kid.”

Then he took Tim’s hand again and led Tim down to a clean, brightly lit kitchen. There were five people gathered at the table off to one side, one who Tim recognized and two who he was fairly certain he knew. Alfred Pennyworth was sitting at the head of the table, a small smile on his face as he watched a guy who Tim was fairly certain was Dick Grayson arm-wrestle a blonde woman, both talking smack at each other. A redheaded woman in a wheelchair who Tim suspected was Barbara Gordon was filming it, cheering on both competitors, and the final person at the table, a boy in his late teens with a bag of frozen peas held to his eyes, was making snide comments. Tim shrunk back at the noisy scene and Jason squeezed his hand again, then opened his mouth. Before he could say anything, though, a voice from the doorway to their left asked, “Jesus, is that  _ Tim _ ? I thought B said he was 11, not 6.”

Tim jolted and turned to look at the doorway, where a guy in his early twenties was standing. Jason set his hand on top of Tim’s head and answered, “It’s not his fault he looks young, Duke. He still gets mistaken for 16 as a 25-year old. And yes, this is Tim. Tim, meet Duke Thomas.”

The guy, Duke, walked over and held out a hand for Tim to shake, stating, “Nice to, uh, meet you, I guess.”

Tim shook his hand on reflex and answered, “Nice to meet you too, Mr. Thomas.”

“Call me Duke.”

Tim nodded and Duke headed over to the kitchen island, where six mugs were waiting, and picked one up before sliding into the seat beside the teenager. Jason grabbed two mugs from the counter and handed one to Tim, then asked, “Kate’s not coming over tonight and Cass is still in Taiwan, so who’re the extra mugs for?”

Alfred hummed and answered, “Master Clark informed me of his and Master Conner’s intentions to visit this evening.”

Jason nodded and Tim took a sip from his mug, a pleased little noise escaping him at the warm cocoa. They watched the arm-wrestling match for a bit before Jason stated, “I’m guessing you probably recognize Alfred, Dick, and Babs, but blondie is Stephanie Brown and the kid with the bag of peas is Damian Wayne.”

At his name, Dick looked up and his eyes went wide as he squealed, “OHMYGOD, HE’S SO TINY!”

Stephanie took advantage of Dick’s distraction to win their arm wrestling match, then turned to look, her eyes going comically large as she stated, “”Holy shit.”

“Language, Miss Stephanie.”

Stephanie muttered an apology and Dick made his way over, crouching down in front of Tim and greeting, “Hey there, Tim. Remember me?”

Tim nodded shyly and squeaked, “It’s nice to see you again, Mr. Grayson.”

“Call me Dick.”

Tim started to answer, but was cut off by a yelp as he was suddenly being dragged into a tight hug. Dick set his chin on top of Tim’s head and Tim held totally still, mug clutched to his chest and too stunned by the action to do anything until Jason lightly swatted at Dick’s head, ordering, “Let the kid breathe, Dickhead.”

Dick squeezed Tim a little tighter and whined, “But he’s so cute, Little Wing!”

“I noticed, but he’s also holding a mug of hot cocoa and you’re gonna make him spill it.”

Dick released Tim finally, but kept a hand on Tim’s shoulder and ordered, “Come sit with us.”

Tim was herded over to the table and clambered into the chair between Dick and Jason, shrinking down as Stephanie leaned forward to stare at him. She smirked, then leaned back and stated, “Jeez, I forgot how  _ small _ he was when he was a kid.”

Tim flushed, taking a sip of his hot cocoa to hide his embarrassment, and Jason snagged two cookies from the plate in the middle of the table, passing one to Tim and taking a bite of the other before answering, “Yeah, yeah, we know, he’s a small little bird.”

He sounded slightly irritated and Stephanie gave him a weird look, then shrugged and yawned, suggesting, “Let’s have a movie night.”

Dick lit up at the suggestion and Tim soon found himself being swept into a cozy living room. The group piled onto the couches without hesitation, playing Rock, Paper, Scissors for certain spots, and Tim, overwhelmed by the situation, quickly snuck out of the room, following his mental map of the Manor to the library where Jason had taken him during one particularly hellish gala. The library looked almost exactly how Tim remembered it, with the same couch but a different rug in front of the fireplace and two tables where Tim only recalled one. His heart raced with anxiety as he settled onto the couch, dreading what would happen if they decided that him wandering off was grounds for punishment, but the library was so familiar that Tim could almost forget that he wasn’t, apparently, not an actual child and in fact a de-aged adult. He stared at the dark fireplace, snuggling deeper into Jason’s leather jacket as the chill of the dark room seeped in, and wondered where his parents were. Another shiver went down his spine at the thought of his parents and he nibbled at his lower lip, then carefully shrugged out of Jason’s jacket to look at his bandaged arm. After a few moments of hesitation, he unwrapped the bandages to reveal that the butterfly bandages he had used to hold the cut closed had been replaced with a row of neat stitches. His ribs ached, but TIm ignored them as he rewrapped the cut and slipped the jacket back on, feeling guilty for inconveniencing Bruce and Jason and Dick and everyone by getting de-aged. He slunk down on the couch, wondering if he should go back down and hope no one had noticed him missing, then froze as he heard heavy footsteps coming towards the library. The library doors opened and Tim ducked down, slipping between the nearest bookshelves as quietly as he could as his mind flashed to Jack’s furious visage. A guy with black hair who Tim didn’t know walked over to the couch and, after looking around for a minute, lifted the couch with one hand and picked up something that had been underneath it. Tim let out a terrified squeak at the clear demonstration of super-strength and the guy turned to look. Tim froze in place, heart feeling like it was about to erupt out of his chest, and the guy squinted at him, then greeted, “Hey, kid. Um. I’m Conner. Did Bruce… adopt you?”

Tim opened and closed his mouth a few times and the guy, Conner, fished a slim phone from his pocket, turning it on and holding it up to illuminate Tim slightly. Then his jaw dropped and he asked, “ _ Tim?  _ What the Hell happened to you, dude?”

Tim slunk back, wondering how Conner knew him, and Conner tipped his head, asking, “Do you- Do you know who I am?”

Tim bit his lip, then answered, “I- No, I don’t.”

Conner crouched down and stated, “I’m Conner Kent. I’m Superman’s… Hmm. I’m related to Superman.”

Tim shuffled forward slightly and Conner asked, “What are you doing up here? I thought everyone was watching a movie.”

Tim fiddled with the bottom of his shirt for a moment, trying to figure out how to explain, and Conner guessed, “Too overwhelming?”

Tim looked up sharply, blurting, “How did you know?”

Conner looked a bit sad and moved to sit on the floor, explaining, “I know you. You were a bit older when I met you, 13, I think, but you were pretty much my best friend. Still are. I can tell when you get overwhelmed.”

Tim hesitantly sat down on the floor across from Conner and asked, “How did we meet?”

“You guys rescued me from the laboratory where I was grown.”

“Where you were grown?”

Conner gave a little half-smile and stated, “Yeah. I’m a clone. Of Superman. Well, kinda. I’ve got some human DNA mixed in, too. You and the rest of your team basically taught me how to be a person instead of just a weapon.”

Tim’s eyes widened and he whispered, “Oh.”

Conner smiled, apparently amused by Tim’s surprise, and Tim asked quietly, “So… Am I a cool hero as an adult?”

“Oh yeah. You’ve got this cool glider-cape thing you designed and you’re crazy smart and I think all of us can agree that it’s a really good thing you use those brains for good instead of evil. You could totally take over the world and we’d probably let you.”

The library door opened again and Tim froze at the large form silhouetted in the doorway. THere was a soft sigh, then Jason stated softly, “There you are, Tim. We were worried.”

Tim shrunk down as Jason walked over and Jason slowly settled down beside Conner, soothing, “Hey, it’s okay. I’m not gonna hurt you, Baby Bird. I’m guessing you got overwhelmed?”

Tim nodded shyly and Jason apologized, “I’m sorry. I shoulda seen that coming.”

Tim looked down at his bare feet and answered, “It’s okay. I’m sorry I just snuck off.”

“It’s alright, Timbo.”

Tim shivered and Jason reached out, gently pulling Tim into a hug and asking, “Wanna stay up here or do you think you’re ready to join the movie night?”

Tim held still and, after a few minutes of consideration, answered, “I think I’m ready to join the movie night. I’m sorry for making you worry.”

“It’s all good, Baby Bird.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I almost posted this in Assassin Appropriation on accident because I'm a dumbass. Oops.

Before he knew it, Tim was on the couch between Dick and Jason. As soon as they had entered the darkened room, Dick had waved them over to the open space on the couch beside him and Jason had settled down, prompting Tim to settle into the space between them, his whole body tense as he tried to maintain proper posture. Dick was sitting on the couch upside down, his legs slung over the backrest and his head hanging off the edge, and Jason had leaned against the armrest, gently tugging Tim in against his side and murmuring, “You can relax and get comfy, Baby Bird. No one will judge you.”

Tim nodded and, as the movie progressed, slowly relaxed against Jason’s warm side, setting his head against Jason’s shoulder. Dick grabbed a blanket at some point, spreading it over himself, Jason, and Tim, then ended up cuddling up against Tim’s other side, playing with Tim’s hair. Tim’s attention wandered from the movie to looking around the room, taking note of where everyone was settled. Stephanie was sprawled out on a pile of pillows on the floor, Duke right next to her, and Conner settled in on the floor against the couch, leaning back against it. Bruce was sitting on the loveseat beside yet another man with black hair and blue eyes, who Tim recognized as Superman. Damian was curled up in one armchair, with Alfred sitting in another, and Tim found his eyes sagging shut. Then a sudden scream from the tv caused Tim to just about jump out of his skin, jolting up and smacking his head into Dick’s jaw. Dick yelped in pain and surprise and Tim flinched back, hands reflexively coming up to cover his head from any impending blows. Several seconds passed and Tim slowly looked up to see Dick’s worried, heartbroken expression. Dick’s voice was quiet and concerned as he asked, “Tim, did you think I was going to hit you?”

Tim bit his lower lip, then whispered, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Dick gave him a tiny smile and soothed, “Hey, it’s okay. It happens. It didn’t hurt, it just startled me. Are you okay?”

Tim nodded, curling tighter, and Dick slowly reached out, freezing when Tim flinched. He looked about ready to cry and finally asked, “Is it okay if I give you a hug, Tim?”

Tim nodded and Dick slowly wrapped his arms around him, pulling Tim in against his chest and tucking Tim’s head under his chin. Tim held totally still, unsure of what to do, and Dick murmured, “You’re safe here, Tim, I promise. No one here will hurt you.”

Tim’s eyes welled up with tears and a big, warm hand touched his shoulder as Jason stated, “You’re one of us, Baby Bird, and we don’t hurt our own.”

The tears spilled over Tim’s lower lids and he sniffled, his breaths hitching as he tried to rein in his emotions. Dick hugged him tighter and murmured soothingly, “It’s okay, Tim. You’re alright.”

His soft murmurs and gentle touches sent more tears spilling down Tim’s cheeks and Tim finally cracked, leaning into Dick’s hug even as he tried to stop crying. Jason’s hand gently rubbed his back and Tim finally managed to get his tears under control, pulling away to wipe his face. He caught Stephanie giving him worried looks and Superman looked ready to come over, but Bruce beat him to it, standing over and walking over to crouch in front of the couch. Tim tried to stop sniffling and Bruce quietly asked, “Are you alright, Tim?”

Tim nodded and Bruce looked hesitant, then opened his mouth like he was going to say something before closing it again. Dick lightly kicked him shoulder and Bruce shot him a disapproving look, then asked, “Is it… May I give you a hug, Tim?”

Tim stared at him for several long seconds, stunned into silence, but finally nodded, prompting Bruce to gently pull him into one of the most awkward hugs of his life. Despite the awkwardness, however, the hug felt safe and caring in a way that made tears well up in Tim’s eyes again. It was different from Dick’s hugs, with Bruce holding Tim so lightly it was like he thought Tim would shatter apart with the slightest pressure, but no less comforting. Bruce finally pulled away, his eyes suspiciously shiny, and gently ruffled Tim’s hair before returning to his own seat. Jason leaned in then, wrapping Tim in a short hug before suggesting, “We should probably head to bed at some point. It’s getting late.”

The rest of the room murmured their agreement and Jason stood, stretching and stating, “I’ll show you to your room, Baby Bird. You’re next to mine.”

Tim nodded and Jason ushered him out of the living room as everyone started to disperse. Tim followed Jason up the stairs to a door with Tim’s name written on a little plaque in immaculate cursive. He opened the door and Tim stepped into the room, eyes widening as he looked around. A desk with several computer monitors was shoved against one wall and a giant, comfortable-looking bed piled with fluffy blankets was in the corner. The closet door hung open, revealing a mix of t-shirts and suits that Tim could tell just from looking were sorted by comfiness, and there was a nice camera sitting on the dresser next to a heavy-looking photo album. Tim started towards the closet, wondering what kind of stuff he wore as an adult, and Jason ruffled his hair gently, stating, “Good night, Baby Bird. We’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

Tim nodded, repeating the sentiment, and heard Jason leave the room, closing the door behind him. Tim made his way over to the closet and, starting at the most comfortable end of the closet, snagged an absolutely massive gray hoodie from the hanger. He squirmed into it, smiling slightly at the way it hung down to his knees, and couldn’t help wondering if it was his or someone else’s as he perused the closet. He couldn’t help his giddy grin at the fact that most of his closet was comfortable clothes and spent a few minutes exploring the rest of his room, finding a box of cereal and a couple jars of peanut butter stashed under his bed. He was a little surprised by the fact that he had so little food stashed away as an adult, but then his mind flickered back to the way that everyone was so doting and caring and wondered if his adult self had so little food hidden because he felt safe enough that he didn’t need to make sure to have backup food. The thought made his chest hurt with the desire to feel that safety and Tim pushed it away, pulling open his bedside drawer and then immediately slamming it shut again, his face flushing completely red at the two boxes of condoms and frankly unnecessary selection of lube in it. There was a soft knock at the door and Tim nearly jumped out of his skin, yelping as Jason called, “Can I come in, Baby Bird? I forgot to ask you something.”

Tim squeaked back an affirmative answer and Jason opened the door, stepping in and raising an eyebrow at Tim’s cherry-red face. Tim pointed at the drawer wordlessly and Jason’s brows furrowed in confusion for a moment before a look of understanding dawned on his face and he doubled over laughing, gasping out apologies between peals of laughter. Tim shrunk down in his hoodie, cheeks flushing darker and darker, and Jason finally managed to wheeze, “I’m so sorry, Baby Bird, I didn’t even think to empty out that drawer.”

Tim sunk down into the hoodie and Jason gave him a warm smile that made Tim’s stomach feel like he had just swallowed every butterfly in the world. Then Jason reached out to gently tug at Tim’s hoodie strings and teased, “I was wondering where this hoodie had gotten off to.”

Tim’s slowly fading blush surged and he blurted, “This is yours? I- I’m sorry, I didn’t know, I'll give it-”

“Hey, take it easy, Timbo, it’s okay. You can keep it. I have others. I was just teasing.”

Tim searched Jason’s face for any lies, but found none and slowly relaxed, asking, “Really?”

“Of course. I had already kinda figured that you had it. Adult-you is a pretty notorious clothing thief and my closet is your favorite target. You have a long-standing invite to borrow my clothes.”

Tim nodded and Jason gently pulled him into a warm hug before releasing him and asking, “Before I forget to ask again, what do you want for breakfast?”

Tim hesitated, trying to come up with a breakfast food that would be easy, and finally squeaked, “Pancakes?”

“Sounds good, Timbit. Night.”

He ruffled Tim’s hair again, then retreated. Tim snuggled into the hoodie, his cheeks hot as he thought about the fact that he was curled up in Jason-freaking-Todd’s hoodie. After a few minutes, he got up to turn off the light and climbed into the bed, burrowing into the pile of blankets and nestling in, humming happily at the coziness. The blankets were sinfully soft and Tim approved of his adult self’s choices in bedding as he slowly drifted asleep. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tim woke up to the sound of cooing and the click of cameras from the doorway. He was warm and cozy and buried in something soft, his head on a soft pillow. Nothing hurt for the first time in a long time and Tim squeezed his eyes tighter, wanting to cling to the dream before having to face his parents or the empty house. A gruff but fond voice stated, “You guys are assholes. Now let me wake him up already before the pancakes get cold.”

The voice, Jason’s voice, reminded Tim that he wasn’t dreaming, it was real, and he slowly pried his eyes open to see Dick and Stephanie standing in the doorway, snapping pictures of him as Dick cooed, “But he’s so cute, Jay!”

“And he’s probably also starving. We have no idea when the last time he ate was.”

Dick’s face fell slightly, but brightened again as Tim slowly sat up. Jason smiled at him and reached out to gently ruffle Tim’s hair, greeting, “Morning, Timbers. Ready for breakfast?”

Tim nodded, bringing one hand up to cover his yawn, and heard Stephanie whisper-squeal, “Oh my god, he yawns like a kitten!”

Tim opened his eyes to look at them and Jason rolled his eyes, then held his hand out to Tim. Tim clambered out of the bed and took Jason’s hand and Dick cooed, “Aww, is that your hoodie, Jay?”

“Oh, shut up, Dickhead. You know Tim likes stealing my clothes.”

Dick dropped into a crouch and pulled Tim into a hug, making Tim squeak in surprise and freeze. Dick set his chin on the top of Tim’s head and Tim blinked in surprise before finally working up the nerve to ask, “Um. What- Why are you hugging me?”

“Because you need more hugs.”

Dick’s answer confused Tim, but he kept that to himself, waiting for Dick to let him go. Dick didn’t seem too interested in doing so and Tim finally asked, “Are you- Are you going to let me go?”

Dick just squeezed him a little tighter and answered, “Maybe. Do you want me to?”

Tim bit his lip, considering. On one hand, the hug felt nice and Tim kind of didn’t want to give it up. On the other, he was so hungry that his stomach hurt and he wanted to eat breakfast. His stomach grumbled loudly and Dick gasped, releasing him and exclaiming, “I totally forgot about breakfast!”   
  


Tim couldn’t help but want Dick’s embrace back, but Dick was already herding him down to the dining room. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait and short chapter. I have no justification, this is just how I am as a person.

Breakfast was amazing. Tim was pretty sure he ate his body weight in pancakes, sausage, eggs, and fruits, as every time he emptied the plate more was added until Tim felt like he was going to burst. Jason nodded approvingly once Tim managed to clear his plate for what felt like the thousandth time, then stated, “We should get you some clothes for while you’re de-aged, Baby Bird.”

Tim looked up in surprise, answering, “That’s okay, you don’t need to go out of your way for me. I’m okay.”

“No skin off my back, Timbo. I’m headed to the store anyway.”

Tim hesitated, then replied, “Okay. If you’re sure.”

Jason smiled and stated, “You can borrow a pair of Damian’s old shoes until we can get you some of your own. They’re the only ones that might fit you.”

Tim nodded and Jason left the room. As soon as he was gone, Dick turned to Tim and scooped him up in a tight hug, stating, “You are unbearably cute in Jason’s hoodie. And in general, honestly.”

Tim held still and Dick rested his chin on Tim’s head, asking, “You know you can hug me back, right, Tim? Or tell me to stop, if you want me to stop.”

Tim hesitated, then slowly brought his arms up to awkwardly wrap around Dick. Dick gave a pleased hum and squeezed Tim a little tighter, rubbing Tim’s back soothingly. Tim closed his eyes, his chest warming at the affection and comfort of it. Several minutes ticked by before Jason’s near-silent footsteps returned and Jason’s voice asked, “Why do I get the feeling you’ve been hugging him since the second I left?”

“Because he’s adorable and needs hugs and you know me?”

Jason gave a laugh at that and Dick released Tim, setting one hand on his head and gently ruffling his hair before gently shooing him over to Jason, who was holding a pair of black boots. He handed the boots over to Tim, who pulled them on quickly, then asked, “Ready, Tim-Tam?”

Tim nodded and they were off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The store was crowded and Tim scooted closer to Jason, the noise and people making his heart race. Jason gave Tim’s hand a gentle squeeze, leading Tim towards the kids’ clothing section. As they reached it, a perky blonde woman in the store’s uniform approached, greeting, “Hi there! Can I help you find anything?”

Jason gave her a small smile and answered, “No, that’s alright. Just looking for some clothes for the kiddo.”

“Of course. Just let me know if you need help finding anything, alright?”

Jason nodded, then, as she walked away, looked down at Tim and asked, “I’m guessing you’re gonna want the softest, most comfortable clothing you can get, right, Tim-bourine?”

Tim blushed, but answered, “Is that okay?”

“Sounds good to me. Let’s find you some comfy clothes.”

Tim smiled as they made their way around the section, picking out a handful of soft shirts and comfy pants. Tim couldn’t help the giddy feeling in his chest at being allowed to choose his own clothes, with the only thing Jason insisted on him getting was a soft jacket that Jason said would fit him as an adult, too, and a pair of comfortable sneakers. Once Tim had chosen his clothing, he followed Jason to the adult section, where Jason grabbed a few packs of socks, grumbling under his breath about ‘that damned archer’ stealing his socks, and two soft-looking hoodies. Then they headed up to the register, paying for their assorted clothing before heading back to the Manor. As soon as they got back, Jason put all of the new clothes in the wash, then made them lunch.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once they had eaten and Jason had moved the clothes from the washer to the dryer, Jason tu rned to Tim, announcing, “Those’ll be done in an hour or so. Wanna watch a movie with me?”

Tim nodded and followed Jason like a duckling into the living room, where Jason picked him up like he weighed nothing and plopped him down on the couch, tucking Tim in against his side as he turned the TV on. They found a movie and started playing it, Tim letting himself enjoy the cartoon as Jason played solitaire on his phone. Tim slowly, hesitantly relaxed against Jason’s side and Jason settled one hand in Tim’s hair, gently playing with his hair. Tim gave a happy sigh and leaned his head into Jason’s hand, letting out a pleased noise. Jason laughed softly and Tim watched the screen sleepily as the credits rolled, then jumped at the loud buzzing coming from another room. Jason gently lifted Tim and stated, “That was the dryer. I’ll go check it.”

He headed out of the room and Tim yawned, wanting to curl up and go to sleep. His eyes fluttered closed and he was about to drift asleep when Jason asked, “Want to change into some clean clothes, Baby Bird?”

Tim yawned, sitting up, and Jason handed him a hoodie and a pair of sweatpants, warm and fresh from the dryer. Tim walked into the bathroom down the hall, quickly changing into the warm, comfy clothes, and then returned to the living room. The hoodie was definitely one of the ones that Jason had bought and Tim snuggled into it, the warmth of it making him feel sleepy as he climbed up on the couch. Jason gently pulled him in against his side as he put on another movie and Tim slowly relaxed against Jason’s side, his eyes sliding shut.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_ Tim was in his room at Drake Manor, sitting at the desk. He could hear Jack screaming at Janet, the drunken slur obvious in his voice, and Tim squirmed, glancing at the door and wishing he had used the bathroom before they had gotten home. Janet screamed back at Jack, a drunken slur less prominent but still present, and Tim curled in on himself, trying to judge where their voices were coming from. They sounded like they were coming from the kitchen, or maybe the study, and Tim calculated about how long it would take him to get to the bathroom, then took a deep breath and opened his door to peek out before high-tailing it to the bathroom. He did his business quickly, then started back to his room, only to freeze when he saw Janet standing outside his bedroom. She was shaking with rage and Tim started to back up, only for Jack to grab him by the back of the shirt and shove him forwards. Janet shoved him into the linen closet and slammed the door, locking it even as Tim begged to be let out. The walls felt like they were closing in on him and- _

“Tim! Hey, wake up, Tim!”

Tim jerked awake, tears streaming down his cheeks, and stared at Jason, who was crouched beside the couch with one hand on Tim’s shoulder. Tim sniffled, trying to stop crying, and Jason softly asked, “Is it alright if I give you a hug, Tim?”

Tim nodded and Jason gently pulled him into a warm hug, rubbing Tim’s back and soothing, “You’re safe, Tim, I promise. We won’t let anyone hurt you.”

Tim sniffled again, his eyes welling up, and crumpled against Jason, crying silently as Jason murmured soothingly. Jason carefully stood as Tim shivered, moving to sit on the couch and tucking Tim against his side before reaching out to grab a fuzzy blanket from the pile of folded laundry in the laundry basket on the coffee table. He unfolded it and spread it over them, the soft fabric still somewhat warm from the dryer. Tim snuggled into it as his sobs turned to hiccups and Jason gently petted his hair before handing him a tissue and asking, “Wanna talk about it, Baby Bird?”

Tim wiped his face with the tissue and snuggled closer to Jason, curling against his side and whispering, “Where are my parents?”

Jason tensed, which wasn’t a good sign, and hesitated before answering, “They- They died. A few years ago.”

A sense of relief filled Tim, followed by an immense amount of guilt for being relieved, and he pressed himself closer to Jason, whispering, “Oh.”

They lapsed into silence for a few minutes as Tim tried to process the information and Tim finally asked, “Do I ever talk about- about them, as an adult.”

Jason was quiet for several long seconds before he finally stated, “Not really. Most of what I know is- Is stuff that I guessed. You’ve told me a little bit, but I’ve always suspected that you haven’t told me the whole truth. And that you’ve sugar-coated most of it.”

Tim nodded and curled against Jason’s side, then quietly stated, “I hope I remember this when I turn back into an adult.”

His eyes fluttered sleepily and Jason yawned beside him, answering, “I hope so too, Baby Bird.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this has taken a while, work has been killing me.

Tim woke up as a pair of warm hands gently scooped him up, tucking him against a warm chest. Jason grunted from somewhere behind him and, from just above him, Dick called, “Wakey wakey, Little Wing. Alfred needs a second pair of hands in the kitchen.”

Jason groaned and Tim opened his eyes slightly to see Jason stand, stretching and smiling softly at Tim. Jason’s expression was fonder than any Tim had ever had directed at him and Tim felt heat creeping up his cheeks as Jason muttered, “God, he’s adorable.”

Dick laughed and adjusted Tim, stating, “Go help Alfred, you sap. I’ll take Timmy up to bed.”

Jason rolled his eyes and Tim yawned, squirming slightly in Dick’s arms in an attempt to get Dick to set him down. Instead, Dick snuggled him closer and whisper-cooed, “He yawns like a kitten. Oh my god, oh my god, he’s so cute!”

Tim froze as he was shifted into a position uncomfortably close to how Ms. Shelby used to hold him, heart racing and body tensing in fear, and he must have made some sort of noise, because Dick loosened his grip immediately, setting Tim down on the couch and asking worriedly, “Did I hurt you?”

Tim shook his head wordlessly, shrinking deeper into the oversized hoodie he was wearing, and Dick looked even more worried, asking, “Did I scare you?”

Tim hesitated, but slowly nodded, hoping it wouldn’t backfire horribly. Dick looked apologetic and crouched down so he was face to face with Tim, replying, “I’m sorry, Timmy. I didn’t mean to. Can you tell me what I did that scared you so I don’t do it again?”

Tim stared at him for a long moment, then answered, “I- Um, the way- The way you held me, with your arm under my legs like that. It- I-”

Dick nodded and stated, “I’ll make sure not to do that, then.”

Tim blinked at him in surprise and Dick gave him a soft smile, asking, “Wanna go see if we can find Alfred the Cat while Jason helps Alfred the Human with lunch?”

Tim hesitated, then nodded. Dick grinned and Tim gave him a small smile in return, chest warming at the familiar smile. Dick stood, holding his hand out to Tim, and Tim took it, following Dick out of the living room and up the stairs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jason joined them thirty minutes later, just as Alfred the Cat made himself comfortable in Tim’s lap, purring contentedly as Tim petted him. Dick’s phone was clicking non-stop as he took photos, but Tim was too enraptured by the ball of fur in his lap to care. Jason leaned against the doorframe, smiling warmly as he watched them, and stated, “I see Alfred the Cat likes you just as much as a kid as he does an adult.”

Tim smiled down at the purring cat and Jason settled onto the floor across from him, reaching out to gently run his hand over Alfred’s fuzzy back, drawing out more happy purrs. They lapsed into peaceful silence and Tim stated almost inaudibly, “I’ve always wanted a cat.”

The knowledge Tim had wanted but never gotten a cat made Jason desperately want to learn necromancy so he could kick the shit out of the Drakes, but he suppressed it, suggesting, “We should go to the science museum. There was an exhibit that adult-you wanted to see about the science of aeronautics in regards to Batman or something like that.”

Tim lit up for a split second before visibly stomping down on it, his voice heartbreakingly hopeful as he asked, “Really? You’d take me to the museum even without a gala or party?”

Jason’s desire to learn necromancy increased tenfold and he reached out to scratch behind Alfred the Cat’s ears just to give him something to do with his hands as he answered, “Of course, Timbo.”

Tim looked stunned but thrilled, squeaking, “I’d love to go.”

Jason grinned and answered, “We’ll go after lunch.”

Tim nodded, practically vibrating with excitement, and Jason couldn’t help the mental image of a puppy that immediately popped to mind. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lunch passed quickly and Jason was soon gently herding Tim to the front door to get his shoes so they could go. Tim seemed honestly shocked that Jason was following through on his promise, which made Jason’s heart clench painfully as he drove them to the museum. As they approached the museum, Tim seemed to be practically vibrating with excitement, his eyes bright. He pushed himself up onto his toes as soon as they entered the building, trying to see everything, and Jason carefully scooped him up, settling Tim on his shoulders. Tim hesitantly rested his arms on Jason’s head and Jason asked cheerily, “Where to first, Timmers? I haven’t been here in awhile, so I was thinking we could check out a few of the other exhibits, too.”

Tim was quiet for a moment, then suggested, “Should we go see the space exhibit?”

Jason gently patted Tim’s knee as he started walking towards the suggested exhibit and answered, “Sounds good.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tim’s eyes felt like they were impossibly wide as he stared around the Aeronautics of the Batman exhibit, trying to absorb as much information as he could as quickly as he could even as Jason paused at each exhibit, giving Tim plenty of time to read each placard and study each thing. His head swirled with calculations and information and he leaned down to speak in Jason’s ear before he even really thought about it, whispering, “Is it true that the reason Dick does all those fancy flips and twirls is to increase the amount of momentum and force he’s hitting people with?”

Jason laughed at that, then answered lightly, “I’m sure that’s probably part of it, but he’s also a dramatic little fu- brat. He likes to show off.”

Tim nodded and Jason continued on to the next exhibit, a Batarang with a placard explaining how it worked. Tim was happily reading the placard when there was the crash of breaking glass from above and behind them. In an instant, Tim was being pulled off of Jason’s shoulders and tucked against his chest, half hidden inside Jason’s leather jacket. There were two gunshots, then a man shouted, “Everyone on the fucking ground, now!”

Tim peeked over Jason’s shoulder as Jason slowly got down on his knees and whispered, “There’s four men with semi-automatic rifles.”

Jason nodded just barely and whispered back, “I’m gonna set you down and turn around. I need you to stay behind me, okay?”

Tim nodded and Jason slowly set him on the floor, then began to turn slowly, his bulk blocking Tim’s line of sight. Tim started to peek over his shoulder, but a gunshot stopped him as the carpet-covered tile just inches from Jason’s left leg exploded outwards and the leader of the men shouted, “Don’t you fucking move!!”

Tim couldn’t see Jason’s face, but he was pretty sure Jason rolled his eyes as he stated, “Take it easy, man.”

One of the other men stalked over and grabbed the front of Jason’s shirt, hauling Jason up and asking, “You’re Wayne’s little bitch boy, aren’t you? The one who supposedly died only to come back?”

“Bitch, I might be.”

Tim flinched despite himself, then let out a squeak when the motion drew the armed robber’s attention. The robber sneered and asked, “Christ, Wayne’s got another one?”

Jason rolled his eyes, then lied through his teeth, “Kid got separated from his folks. I was helping him find them.”

“Right, sure you were. Hey, Boss, think we could get a good price for Wayne’s little brats?”

The leader looked over as one of the other men re-entered the room with a bag, presumably filled with stolen goods, then shrugged and answered, “Eh, may as well. Tie ‘em up.”

A second lackey approached with a handful of zipties and the first aimed his gun at Tim, stating, “One wrong move and I’ll splatter the kid’s brains on the floor.”

Jason glared ferociously, but allowed the man to bind his wrists behind him with a frankly absurd number of zipties (Tim stopped counting after the thirteenth). Tim’s wrists were bound with a measly four and then they were herded out the back of the museum and into an unmarked white van, because apparently Gotham was still nothing but cliches and crime even after all the years that Tim couldn’t remember. Two of the lackeys joined them in the back of the van and it began moving as Tim scooted to curl against Jason’s side, trying to pretend to be a normal kid. Jason twitched like he wanted to wrap Tim up in a hug and one of the robbers turned to the other, asking, “Whatcha think this one’s deal is? Think he’s another feral one like that last freak of Wayne’s?”

Jason scoffed, muttering, “Damian’s not feral, he’s rabid. If you’re gonna insult the little shit, at least do it right.”

Tim couldn’t help his laugh at that and Jason gave him a smile even as the robber turned to them, asking, “The fuck do you think is so funny, you little shit?”

Tim froze, trying to think of a response, but Jason beat him to it, stating, “I said, Damian’s not feral, he’s rabid. Get it right.”

Jason’s sass earned him a sharp slap across the face as the van slammed to a halt and Tim flinched at the sound of it echoing in the space. The back of the van was thrown open and Tim caught sight of what looked like a warehouse before the vaguely familiar voice of Ozwald Cobblepot squawked, “What do you mean, you kidnapped Wayne’s brats?!?”

Jason tensed beside Tim and Tim glanced over, catching sight of the knife Jason had pulled from somewhere that he was using to saw through the zipties. He was down to three ties left when Cobblepot appeared at the van doors, peering at them through his monocle and squawking a laugh. He clambered his way in and walked over, using the end of his cane to poke at Jason as he mocked, “Ooh, bad luck, Little Wayne. Looks like-”

Jason tensed further and Tim heard the snapping of zipties, then Jason had a hold of Cobblepot’s cane and was slamming the bird-shaped handle of it into Cobblepot’s jaw, snarling, “My last name is Todd, you fish-breathed motherfucker.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apparently the writing goblin decided to chug a tall glass of motivation juice to make up for dropping off the map for so long. 
> 
> My Tumblr is The-Devil-In-The-Details-666 if anyone wants to come say hello! I love hearing from y'all.

The second Cobblepot hit the ground, squawking in pain, all Hell broke loose as the henchmen rushed Jason. Jason, to his credit, wielded the cane with brutal efficacy, dropping henchmen like flies. Tim took the opportunity to scoot over to where Jason had dropped his knife and picked the knife up, maneuvering it to try to saw through his bonds. It was significantly harder than Jason had made it look, but Tim somehow managed to get through 3 of the 4 zip-ties before the knife slipped and pain blossomed through his palm. Tim let out a yelp, feeling blood trickling down his hands from the slice across the heel of his hand, and Jason looked over in alarm. Tim opened his mouth to reassure him, but, before he could say a word, Jason’s eyes went wide and something cold and hard was pressed against the side of Tim’s head. From behind Tim, a man’s voice ordered, “Drop the cane and put your hands on your head or the kid catches a bullet to the brain.”

Jason looked furious, but dropped the cane and slowly placed his hands on his head. Jason’s eyes never left Tim, worry and anger and something almost like regret warring in his expression, and Tim wanted nothing more than to comfort him. A hand grabbed Tim’s hair and yanked him up, making Tim yelp and clench his fists against the pain. He was still holding the knife and a thought struck Tim suddenly as he glanced around and realized that the henchman behind him was the only henchman still standing. The one behind Tim stepped forward, pressing what Tim assumed to be a gun harder against his head, and Tim took a deep breath, carefully sawing through the final zip-tie before adjusting the knife in his hand. He met Jason’s gaze and steeled himself, then, hoping against all hope that it would work, he stabbed backwards, hoping to hit something. The man behind him let out a choked noise and stumbled back, then, a split second later, let out a choked scream. Jason’s eyes went wide and Tim bolted out of arms’ reach of the man, scrambling over to Jason. Jason promptly scooped him up, tucking Tim close, and Tim chanced a glance back at the man, who was clutching his crotch, blood dripping between his fingers. Jason bent to grab the cane and threw it with deadly accuracy, clocking the man between the eyes and sending him sprawling. There was a beat of silence, then Jason snorted and dissolved into laughter, wheezing, “Holy shit, Timbo! Gotta say, stabbing him in the dick is one way to get a kidnapper to let go of you!”

Tim blushed and Jason pulled out his phone after he managed to stop laughing, typing in a number and moving to set Tim on a nearby couch in what Tim realized was some sort of warehouse/nightclub hybrid. He tucked the phone between his cheek and his shoulder, talking to whoever was on the other end, and checked Tim over for injuries. He frowned at the gash on Tim’s hand and held up a finger for Tim to wait as he walked over to the nightclub’s bar, ducking behind it and returning moments later with a large red box. He ended the phone call, which was apparently with Dick, then crouched back in front of Tim and stated, “Dick’s on his way to get us. In the meantime, lemme patch your hand up.”

Tim held out his cut hand and Jason opened the large red first aid kit, carefully cleaning the gash before bandaging it with practiced ease. He pressed a kiss to the bandages, earning a surprised squeak from Tim, and Jason froze for half a second before blushing and stating, “Sorry, sorry, it’s… Sorry. My mom used to do that, when she would patch me up on her good days. Sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”

Tim squirmed, then answered, “It’s okay. I’ve just… No one’s ever done that for me before.”

Jason looked slightly sad at that, then pulled Tim into a hug and stated, “Sorry this happened.”

Tim shrugged, hugging Jason back, and, after a moment, answered, “At least you put in the effort to help me.”

Jason tensed at that and pulled back to look Tim in the eye, asking, “What do you mean, Timmers?”

Tim squirmed, studiously avoiding Jason’s gaze, then whispered, “Last year- Or, well, I guess, when I was 10, one of Mother and Father’s business rivals arranged to have me kidnapped from school. They kidnapped me on a Monday morning, just after I arrived. I, uh, I wasn’t reported missing. At all. Apparently, when the kidnappers called my parents to threaten them, Mother told them that they didn’t negotiate with kidnappers and hung up. They had me for nearly two weeks before the kidnappers finally got fed up and dumped me at the nearest police station. After the police took me home, Father punished me for getting kidnapped in the first place.”

Jason pulled Tim into another hug, tucking Tim’s head under his chin, and stated firmly, “We will  _ always _ come for you, Tim. You’re one of us and we protect our own.”

His tone was protective, fiercely so, and, before Tim even knew it, he was crying, the stress and panic and terror from the day hitting him. Jason rubbed his back, murmuring soothingly, and Tim finally cried himself out, curling into Jason and wiping his face with the tissues that Jason pulled from one of his pockets. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nightwing swung onto the scene about three minutes later, Commissioner Gordon and the police not far behind. Jason tucked Tim close as Gordon approached and Gordon raised an eyebrow, greeting, “Jason. Should’ve known it would be you, I suppose.”

Jason smirked and answered, “Good to see you, too, Commish.”

Gordon looked unimpressed and turned his gaze on Tim, who cringed back slightly at the intense gaze. Gordon softened at that and crouched down, voice gentle as he asked, “And who is this young man?”

Jason froze and Tim panicked internally for a second before blurting, “Jackson. Todd. Jackson Todd.”

That earned Gordon staring incredulously at Jason, who was thankfully a trained liar and smoothly picked up, “Turns out that Willis wasn’t just a criminal and an abuser, he was also a cheater. I’ve got a half-brother who moved to L.A. a few years back. He and Jackson’s mom finally got hitched last week, asked me to watch Jackson while they go on their honeymoon.”

Gordon didn’t quite look like he believed Jason, but he simply directed them over to the ambulance that had arrived. Jason stood, offering his hand to Tim, and Tim stood as one of the other cops suddenly asked, quite loudly, “Who the Hell stabs a guy in the dick?!?”   
  


Jason led Tim over to the ambulance, snickering the whole way, and they let the paramedics check them over before answering more questions from the police and finally,  _ finally _ , being allowed to go home after what felt like another year, but was probably closer to four hours. As soon the cop that was taking their statements, Officer Mendez, said they could go, however, Commissioner Gordon approached and stated, “Jason, Jackson, hold on a moment. I have a few more questions.”

Jason groaned, loudly and unabashedly, and, though he remained silent, Tim felt much the same. Then Jason sighed and answered, “Look, Commish, I’m sure you mean well, but please keep in mind that my nephew is 11 years old and has just been kidnapped, injured, and then forced to sit and be interrogated by the police for three and a half hours. Unless this is absolutely urgent and cannot wait, I’d appreciate it if we do this later.”

Gordon nodded, then answered, “I get that, Jason, I really do, but this can’t wait.”

He gave Jason a significant look, then gestured for them to follow him. Jason looked at Tim apologetically and they followed Gordon to a secluded corner, where Gordon sighed and stated, “Jason, you must think I’m really stupid if you think I wouldn’t recognize Tim Drake.”

Jason winced and Tim froze, heart racing. Gordon pinched the bridge of his nose, looking incredibly tired, and continued, “Look, Jason, I’m trying to pretend I don’t know about your nighttime activities, I really am, but this is… There are no words. I’ll cover you this time, but next time, you’re shit out of luck.”

Jason gave a strangled noise and, voice about an octave higher than usual, asked, “Ah, nighttime activities, Commish?”

“I’m a detective, Jason. Did you  _ really _ think I wouldn’t notice my own daughter going out in spandex? It doesn’t exactly take a supergenius to connect the dots from there.”

Jason gave another strangled noise and squeaked, “Does B know that you know?”

Gordon gave him a flat look, then answered, “No. Only you, your husband, and my daughter know. And I expect it to stay that way, got it?”

Jason nodded and Gordon gave him an appraising look, then ordered, “Now go home, both of you. Officer Jones will drive you.”

Jason nodded again and gently shepherded Tim over to the waiting car, both of them piling in. The drive was mostly silent and they soon arrived at the Manor, where they both showered. As soon as he was cleaned up and his hand had been checked over and re-bandaged by Alfred, Tim crawled into his bed, bundled himself in his blankets, and went straight to sleep. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just straight up fluff. Pure, tooth-rotting, cavity inducing fluff, with an extra helping of Tim snuggling Alfred the Cat. You've been warned.

Tim woke up to Alfred the Cat curled up against his face, fast asleep. Tim couldn’t help but smile, unwrapping himself from the blankets, and reached up to pet Alfred gently, earning a surprised little ‘Mrrp’ from Alfred before he stood, stretched, and promptly crawled under Tim’s newly unwrapped blankets and curled up against Tim’s belly. Tim giggled and gently scratched Alfred’s ears, earning a rumbling purr and Alfred pushing his hand into Tim’s palm happily. The sun was just peeking over the horizon when Tim glanced out his window and, after a few minutes, Tim gathered Alfred the Cat up in his arms the way Dick had shown him and got out of bed, heading downstairs. Alfred the Cat nestled into Tim’s arms, purring, and Tim hesitantly poked his head into the kitchen, where Alfred the Human was cooking breakfast. Alfred looked over at him, giving a gentle smile, and greeted, “Good morning, Master Tim. How did you sleep?”

Tim blushed, then answered, “I slept well. You?”

“I can hardly complain. I see my feline counterpart has made himself comfortable with you.”

Tim cuddled Alfred the Cat closer and answered, “Yes. He curled up with me this morning.”

Alfred smiled and stated, “Take a seat. Breakfast will be done in just a few minutes, Master Tim.”

Tim obediently settled in at the table, Alfred the Cat curling up in his lap to continue snoozing, and Alfred set a plate of eggs, bacon, and toast in front of him just as Jason stumbled in, yawning widely. He dropped into the seat beside Tim, folding his arms and resting his head on them, then mumbled, “Mornin’, Baby Bird. Mornin’, Alfie.”

“Good morning, Master Jason. Tea?”

Alfred set a steaming mug next to Jason’s elbow and Jason mumbled something that sounded vaguely like “You’re a saint” as he lifted his head and picked the mug up, downing about half of it in one sip. Alfred raised an eyebrow and Jason finally opened his eyes to peer around the kitchen, smiling when he saw Alfred the Cat in Tim’s lap. Tim smiled back, offering Jason a strip of bacon, and Jason took it, ruffling Tim’s hair gently and asking, “How’d you sleep, Tim-Tam?”

Tim swallowed his bite of toast, then answered, “Pretty well. You?”

“Eh, spent most of the night tracking down and  _ dealing with _ the handful of Penguin’s lackeys that bolted yesterday. Got a couple hours of sleep, though.”

Tim frowned at that, asking, “Why are you up if you got so little sleep?”

Jason downed the rest of his tea and Alfred set a plate in front of him, then picked up a lovely teapot and refilled Jason’s mug as Jason answered, “I heard you wake up and didn’t want you to feel awkward being the only one aside from Alfie awake.”

Tim frowned more at that, then answered, “I don’t mind. I’m used to it. You should go back to bed if you’re tired.”

Jason snorted at that, then shook himself and answered, “I’m alright, squirt. Whatcha wanna do today?”

Tim considered, petting Alfred the Cat in a way that made him feel vaguely like a villain from a cheesy spy movie, then requested, “Can we spend some time in the library? I saw that there was a copy of Lord of the Rings in there and I’ve been wanting to read it for awhile, but haven’t gotten the chance.”

Jason grinned, then suggested, “We can build a little blanket fort to read in.”

Tim nodded eagerly, having not had anyone to build a fort with since he was 6 and Mrs. Vasquez quit, and Jason’s grin widened as he ruffled Tim’s hair for a third time, announcing, “It’s settled then. We’ll head up there after breakfast.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sure enough, they finished breakfast and Jason led Tim, who had a snoozing Alfred the Cat draped across his shoulders like one of Mother’s fancy mink stoles, up to the library, stopping at one of the linen closets to retrieve blankets and sheets and pillows. When they reached the library, Tim carefully transferred Alfred the Cat to the armchair, much to the cat’s displeasure, and he and Jason set to work constructing a blanket fort. The floor of it was lined with pillows and blankets, the sides constructed from couch cushions, and the roof from an enormous black sheet that Jason informed him was one of the spare sheets from Bruce’s bed. The fort was incredibly cozy and comfy and they quickly found books to read, then returned to the fort to find Alfred the Cat napping on one of the pillows. Jason laughed, scratching Alfred’s ears, then settled down leaned against the couch, book in his lap. Tim settled on his stomach on the fort floor beside him and they both opened their books, the only sounds their breathing and the turning of pages. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About thirty minutes into their reading, Tim realized that he hadn’t heard Jason turn a page in nearly fifteen minutes and looked over, giggling when he realized that Jason’s eyes were closed, the book slipping from his grasp and his head tilted back at an uncomfortable angle. Tim hesitated, then grabbed one of the pillows and carefully, cautiously, lifted Jason’s head to slip the pillow in, hoping he wouldn’t wake Jason. Jason seemed to settle deeper into sleep and Tim carefully took the book from his hands, placing a bookmark in it and setting it to the side before settling back in to read his own book. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tim had no idea how much time had passed when he was dragged out of his book by a shutter click and Dick cooing, “Awwww, look at you two!”

Tim pressed a finger to his lips, pointing at Jason and Dick mouthed an apology, then crawled into the fort and settled beside Tim, whispering, “Whatcha reading, Timmy?”

Tim closed his book to show Dick the cover and Dick smiled, whispering, “Should’ve guessed. Lord of the Rings is your favorite movie series to binge as an adult. You and Jason have yearly marathons of it.”

Tim giggled and Dick asked, “Mind if I hang out with you two- oh, uh, hey Alfie Cat- You  _ three _ for a while?”

Tim shrugged, answered, “You’re welcome to.”

Dick beamed, slipping out of the fort and returning a moment later with a book of his own. He settled against the couch beside Jason and they lapsed into silence again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Some indeterminate amount of time after Dick arrived, the library door opened again and there was the sound of nails clacking on hardwood, then Damian asked, “What on Earth?”

Dick perked up and slithered out of the fort, chirping, “Dami! Grab a book and come join us! Titus can come too!”

There was a beat of silence, then Dick was slipping back into the fort, beaming. Damian entered a moment later with a book, sitting beside Dick with his legs just beside Tim’s, and an enormous black dog settled at the entrance, promptly dozing off. Tim gave Damian a wave, getting a polite nod in return, and looked back to his book before nearly jumping out of his skin as small paws walked across his calves for a moment before a warm, fuzzy body plopped down. Dick gave a muffled giggle and Tim twisted to see Alfred the Cat draped across his calves and Damian’s shins, licking one paw and looking quite smug. Damian looked fondly amused and Tim pressed a hand to his mouth to muffle his own giggles as Dick snapped a photo. They lapsed back into silence once again for about five minutes before Titus’s ears pricked up and he lifted his head just before Bruce asked, “What’s all this?”

Tim’s heart sank and he felt himself starting to pale, hoping they weren’t about to get yelled at. Then Bruce was kneeling down at the entrance of the fort, scratching Titus’s ears and peering in as he smiled at them and asked, “Having a good time?”

Tim nodded hesitantly and Bruce’s smile got bigger as he looked over the four of them. Things were silent for a moment, then Dick offered, “You should join us, B!”

Bruce looked amused, then answered, “I have a meeting with our London branch in ten minutes.”

“And? I bet calling in from a pillow fort with your kids would help your image as flighty and frivolous.”

Bruce’s smile turned into a laugh as he answered, “You raise a good point. Let me grab my tablet.”

He disappeared, then returned a few minutes later with a sleek black tablet that made Tim’s fingers itch with the desire to investigate. Dick gave him a knowing look, then shifted to stretch out beside Tim, whispering, “B’s tablet is actually one that you designed and built when you were 16. The thing has survived two bombs, at least three bullets, getting dropped in a fishtank, and getting run over by the Batmobile. And having gotten dropped at least a thousand times, including at least twice down the stairs.”

Tim lit up and Dick grinned, ruffling his hair as Bruce joined the meeting, greeting, “Good morning, everyone.”

There was a beat of silence, then a voice from the tablet asked, “Ah, good morning, Mr. Wayne. May we ask where you’re calling us from?”

Bruce laughed brightly, making Dick cringe, and answered, “Well, Mr. Yarrowhill, you see, I’m actually calling from a blanket fort my sons made.”

There was another beat of silence, longer this time, and the man replied, “I see.”

Then Bruce plugged in his headphones and Tim soon looked back to his book, letting the world of Lord of the Rings drag him back in.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is complete!

Tim had just finished the first Lord of the Rings book when Jason yawned and asked, “Wha’s goin’ on? When did you guys get here?”

Tim turned to look at him and Dick cheerily answered, “We came looking for you two and you just looked so comfy that we had to join in!”

Jason hummed, then looked over at Tim, smiling fondly as he asked, “You knew exactly what you were doing, didn’t you, Timberly?”

Tim blushed, shrinking down on himself, and Dick laughed, teasing, “Doesn’t he always?”

Jason flicked Dick’s calf playfully, then promptly shifted to flop down on top of Dick, half-crushing him as he asked, “How’s your book coming?”

Dick gave a protesting groan at Jason’s bulk suddenly laying on top of him, then huffed and relaxed, apparently content with the contact. Tim smiled slightly, then answered, “I just finished the first one. It’s really good!”

“Want me to go grab you the next one?”

Tim held up the copy of The Two Towers that Bruce had grabbed for him after getting up to stretch at one point, then answered, “I have it. Thank you, though!”

Jason shifted, squishing Dick further and earning a dramatic groan, and Bruce glanced up from the meeting on his tablet, removing one earbud and scolding, almost absently, “Be nice to your brother, Jay.”

Jason replied by gently covering Tim’s eyes with one hand and undoubtedly using the other to flip Bruce off. Tim giggled and Jason uncovered his eyes carefully, ruffling Tim’s hair and pitching his voice up to mockingly repeat, “Be nice to your brother, Jay.”

Tim couldn’t help but giggle, making Jason look incredibly pleased with himself. Then Bruce sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, and Tim tensed up, heart sinking before Bruce muttered, “Dick, you’re an adult. You can handle this on your own.”

“B! Save me! How could you abandon me, your eldest child, to such a barbarian?”

“I’m in a meeting, Dick.”

“Oh, woe! Why hath thou forsaken me, oh father? Lo, I am slain!”

Bruce looked halfway between deeply amused and deeply exhausted and put his earbud back in as Jason shifted to crush Dick further, stating, “You’re a disgrace to acting, Dick, you really are.”

Dick whined as his face was squished into the pillows lining the bottom of the fort and Damian rolled his eyes, scoffing, “Honestly, Grayson, if you cannot best _Todd_ , then I cannot fathom how you expect to continue with our nightly activities.”

“Yeah, Dick, clearly you need to train more.”

Dick whined again and Jason rolled his eyes, scooting so he wasn’t crushing Dick and practically shoving Dick into Bruce’s lap so he could settle beside Tim. Dick made a protesting noise at having his spot usurped and plopped down on top of Jason, triggering a brief wrestling match before Bruce sighed and dragged Dick off Jason’s back like he was a misbehaving puppy. Dick huffed, but settled against Bruce’s side when Bruce wrapped an arm around him. The fort lapsed back into peaceful silence and Tim continued reading. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An hour later, just after Alfred had brought up sandwiches for lunch and they had all eaten, Bruce finished up his meeting and set his tablet aside, looking down at Dick, who had curled up and dropped asleep at some point. Tim’s eyes were drawn back to the sleek black tablet and Bruce caught his gaze, then smiled slightly and held the tablet out, stating, “You seem interested in this. You’re welcome to take a look.”

Tim lit up, accepting the tablet, and immediately began fiddling with it, earning an amused huff from Jason, who poked Tim’s cheek lightly and teased, “Nerd Bird.”

Tim giggled and buried himself in fiddling with the tablet. Jason occasionally chimed in when something confused Tim and Tim couldn’t help but marvel at the tablet, still reeling slightly from the fact that, apparently, his older self had made it. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tim woke up bundled in blankets, his head in someone’s lap as they petted his hair. Tim blinked, not even remembering falling asleep, and looked up at Jason, who was looking at Tim with an impossibly fond look as he stroked Tim’s hair gently. Tim shifted slightly, settling closer to Jason with a sleepy little hum, and Jason’s hand stilled for a second before he continued petting and greeted, “Morning, Baby Bird. How was your nap?”

Tim nestled in closer, still tired despite having just woken up, then mumbled, “Good. Wha’ happened?”

“You fell asleep while messing with the tablet. You woke up just in time, dinner is in 15 minutes.”

“Oh. Okay.”

Tim slowly sat up, yawning widely as he forced his eyes to stay open, and he and Jason climbed out of the fort. Jason stretched, popping his back, then guided Tim down towards the dining room, asking, “You doin’ okay, Timbo? You seem pretty wiped out.”

Tim yawned again, then answered, “I’m okay. I’m probably just still tired from yesterday.”

“If you’re sure, Baby Bird. Just let me know if you don’t feel good, okay?”

Tim nodded as Jason steered him into a chair at the dining room table and Jason headed into the kitchen. Tim sank into his chair, exhaustion tugging at him, and he found himself slumping forward onto the table, folding his arms and resting his head on them as his eyes drifted closed. He sank into a doze, time slipping by him, and was woken back up by Jason’s hand on his head. His brain didn’t want to wake up, it seemed, and it took him a minute to drag himself out of his doze, catching snippets of talking.

“...burning up, B.”

“...think he caught something at…”

“...wearing off? Zatanna said…”

Tim finally pulled himself fully awake, lifting his head, and, a split second later, Jason was crouching beside his chair, cupping Tim’s face in one hand and stating, “Hey there, Tim-Tam.”

Tim forced his tired eyes to focus on Jason’s worried face and Jason gave him a slight smile, murmuring, “Hey, Timmy, we’re gonna take you down to the Cave and check you over, okay? You’ve got a pretty nasty fever. Think you can walk?”

Tim leaned his head into Jason’s hand with a soft noise, his eyes fluttering closed, and Jason muttered, “Gonna take that as a no, Timmers. Okay.”

His hand pulled away from Tim’s face, making Tim give a small, mournful noise at the loss, and then Tim was being gathered up and tucked against Jason’s chest, his head resting on Jason’s shoulder. Tim snuggled into Jason’s warmth and Jason began walking, the steady motion lulling Tim back into a doze. He drifted in and out of consciousness as he was set on a medical cot like the one had woken up in that first time, Jason’s hand coming up to pet his hair gently, and a thermometer was slipped under his tongue. He distantly heard Dick and Bruce and an unfamiliar woman talking, then time seemed to skip and suddenly Tim was being carried again, Jason humming softly as he sat and settled Tim against him. Tim cuddled into him and Jason petted his hair, murmuring, “Just sleep, Baby Bird. I’ll keep you safe.”

Tim nestled in, then did exactly what Jason told him to do.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tim woke up in a pair of too-tight sweatpants and a hoodie, hanging halfway off the couch and halfway on top of Jason. He was contorted in a way that made his back ache and he slowly started to get up, his back screaming in agony. The motion sent him sliding off the couch and he yelped as he crashed to the floor, limbs flailing as he tried to catch himself and instead accidentally kicked Jason in the chest. Jason jerked awake, hair sticking up on one side as he looked around for intruders, and Tim slumped down on the cold tile with his legs still on the couch, pressing his cold toes against Jason’s warm thigh and stating plaintively, “My back hurts and these sweatpants are too small.”

Jason’s warm hands began gently rubbing his feet and Tim sighed happily, closing his eyes as Jason asked, “Do you remember what happened?”

“Getting turned into an 11-year old and being aggressively cuddled for a week? Yep. Thanks, by the way. You have no idea how exciting it was to find out that I managed to marry my childhood hero.”

Jason pressed a kiss to where Tim’s shin was exposed by the sweatpants riding up and asked, “You know we’re gonna have to discuss the elephant in the room, right? The elephant shaped like someone sugarcoating just how bad his childhood was?”

Tim groaned, but answered, “I know. But not until I get a back massage and a pair of sweatpants that won’t give me a wedgie from hell.”

Jason smiled down at him and patted Tim’s shins before moving Tim’s legs off his lap and ordering, “Up, up. Go get changed and lay down in bed. I’m gonna grab you some water, then give you a massage.”

Tim groaned, but got up and made his way up to his room, trading his too-small pants for a pair of boxers and then flopping facedown on the mattress. The door opened a minute later, then Jason’s weight settled on the bed by Tim’s hip and he tapped the back of Tim’s head, ordering, “Up. I have water.”

Tim grumbled, but sat up and leaned against Jason, taking the cup that was pressed into his hands and taking a drink. Jason tugged Tim into his lap, pressing soft kisses to Tim’s head, and Tim hummed, draining the cup and setting it aside. Jason gently manhandled onto his belly on the bed, then began massaging Tim’s back, making Tim sigh and melt into the mattress. Jason snorted, pressing a kiss to the back of Tim’s neck, and Tim finally rolled onto his back, making grabby hands at Jason and dragging Jason down to lay beside him. Jason laughed softly, tucking Tim into his side, and began gently playing with Tim’s hair for a bit before finally stating, “I’m glad to have you back, Baby Bird. I hope you know that I’m planning to keep you right here with me until I stop seeing a tiny little touch-starved 11-year old every time I look at you.”

Tim shifted to rest his head on Jason’s chest, the steady sound of Jason’s heartbeat making him feel safe and sleepy, then answered, “Well, I’m not planning to move anytime soon, so…”

Jason pulled the blankets up over them, then used two fingers to tip Tim’s chin up and press a soft kiss to Tim’s lips. Tim gave a pleased little hum, kissing Jason again when he pulled back, then settled down and closed his eyes, letting himself drift back asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone has any ideas that they'd be interested in seeing me write, feel free to drop them in the comments or come yell at me on Tumblr at The-Devil-In-The-Details-666. I can't guarantee anything, but I am open to prompts.


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